A Boeing 747-400F taxi’s during Paine Field Aviation Day 2009. Photo by Les Smith.

Sometimes a photo (or two) come along that I feel defines why I do this blog and love aviation. These are two of those photos and I wanted to share. These show one of the last 744F’s taxiing and taking off at Paine Field. But the photos are not about the aircraft, but for me, it is about the people (and especially that child waving).

Its departure was not a planned part of Paine Field Aviation Day, but it made most attendees stop in their tracks to enjoy the show. A big thanks to Les Smith for letting me share his photos!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & FOUNDER - SEATTLE, WA. David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has been quoted and written for a number of news organizations, including BBC, CNN, NBC News, Bloomberg, and others. He is passionate about sharing the complexities, the benefits, and the fun stuff of the airline business. Email me: david@airlinereporter.com

Great photos, David (Thanks Les!). It wasn’t till my son wanted to become serious about his passion of avaition (he was thinking of becoming a ATC)that it awoken my passion as well….. I’ve been a parent so long, I’ve repressed my own love of avaition for duties as a father and husband overtook my life. But my son’s passion for flying and planes became my mission to ensure his dreams of working in the aviation field are realized. When I see that boy in the photo above…. I see my son….. and yet also myself… as the father holding him up and also as the boy, too.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Participate in this conversation via emailGet only replies to your comment, the best of the rest, as well as a daily recap of all comments on this post. No more than a few emails daily, which you can reply to/unsubscribe from directly from your inbox.